The Wuhuan () were a nomadic people who inhabited northern China, in what is now the provinces of Hebei, Liaoning, Shanxi, the municipality of Beijing and the autonomous region of Inner Mongolia.

They were descended from the Donghu, who were defeated by the Xiongnu.

They were active throughout the latter half of the Han Dynasty, often incorporated into the regular military forces of the Han armies. Unlike most major non-Chinese peoples on the frontiers of the Chinese empire, the Wuhuan were relatively cooperative with the imperial court. Around the fall of the dynasty in the 190s, however, the Wuhuan joined in many of the rebellions and internal wars of the Chinese. In the 200s, the "Wuhuan of the three commanderies", the tribes closest to the Chinese, supported Yuan Shao, the major warlord north of the Yellow River. In 207, Cao Cao led a forced march deep into Wuhuan territory and decisively defeated them at the Battle of White Wolf Mountain. Many Wuhuan's powerful horsemen joined him and became known as the "greatest cavalry under heaven". Although various Wuhuan leaders led sporadic revolts throughout the third century, by the fourth century they had largely been displaced by the Xianbei.

Category:Wu Hu Category:Manchuria Category:Ancient peoples of China

:For the Song Dynasty emperor, see Emperor Lizong of Song. Zhao Yun (died 229 Liu Shan's order for Zhao to be honoured read, "When Zhao Yun was serving the late emperor (Liu Bei), his contributions were already remarkable. When I was young, I relied on his loyalty to save me from great danger. That is why I am bestowing upon him the honour." Zhao was one of 12 Shu Han subjects to be granted posthumous titles of nobility.

Zhao had two sons, Zhao Tong and Zhao Guang. The latter followed Jiang Wei on the campaigns against Cao Wei, and was killed in action in Tazhong.

In fiction

Many of Zhao's actual exploits were highly dramatized in Luo Guanzhong's Romance of the Three Kingdoms. In the novel, Zhao is described as being almost perfect, possessing unparalleled physical power as well as unwavering loyalty to his lord, tremendous courage, keen intelligence and serene charisma. These traits have often been reflected in almost all modern material about Zhao to date. The novel portrays him as a courageous, loyal, and heroic warrior, and depicting him surviving insurmountable odds many times single-handedly.

Rescuing Liu Shan in Changban

]] The novel portrayed Zhao quickly and single-handedly slaying numerous enemy generals as he rode from point to point during the Battle of Changban, while asking civilians the whereabouts of Lady Gan, Lady Mi, and Liu Shan. As proof of his resolve, he stated that he would search everywhere to find them and if he could not, he would die on the battlefield. One of the many generals that fell to Zhao Yun was Xiahou En, who carried one of Cao Cao's prized swords, the "Qinggang" (青釭). The sword was said to be able to cut through metal as if it were mud, and Zhao took it with him after slaying Xiahou. Upon finally finding Lady Mi and Liu Shan near an old well, Mi, who was injured in the leg, gave the child to Zhao and refused to go with him, saying that she would be a burden to them. With enemy soldiers approaching, the two argued until Mi committed suicide by throwing herself into a nearby well. Zhao strapped the child to his chest and covered him with his breast plate armour and fought his way out through overwhelming encirclement of enemy troops, armed with only a spear and the newly acquired Qinggang sword. Zhao's valor impressed Cao Cao, who ordered his archers not to fire at Zhao, but capture him alive instead in hope that Zhao would surrender to him. Throughout the battle, Zhao charged in and out of the enemy formation seven times, killing over 50 enemy commanders.

Zhao eventually fought his way to Changban Bridge, where he met Zhang Fei, who stayed behind to block the incoming enemy troops. Zhao finally returned to Liu Bei's side, returned Liu Shan to him and expressed remorse for his failure to bring back Lady Mi. Liu threw the infant to the ground, saying that his son was not worth the risk taken by the general to save him. Zhao barely caught the child in his arms.

Rescuing Liu Shan from Lady Sun

In chapter 61 (a fictionalization of a real incident), Lady Sun returned to Eastern Wu to visit her ill mother after receiving news from her older brother, Sun Quan. In fact, Sun Quan was lying, as he wanted to trick Lady Sun into bringing the child Liu Shan along, and hold the boy hostage in exchange for Jing Province from Liu Bei. When Zhao heard that Lady Sun was leaving with Liu Shan, he rushed to the pier and saw that Sun had just boarded the vessel bound for Eastern Wu, manned by Zhou Shan.

Zhao boarded a small fishing boat and caught up with the vessel and leapt onto it. Zhao fought his way through and managed to seize back Liu Shan from Lady Sun, but was unable to get off safely. Just then, the vessel was intercepted by a fleet led by Zhang Fei. Zhou Shan attempted to stop them but was slain by Zhang. Lady Sun eventually agreed to let Liu Shan leave with Zhang and Zhao while she returned home alone.

Modern references

's Dynasty Warriors 6]] Zhao has been featured prominently in Chinese popular culture, literature, art and anecdotes. Zhao was already a relatively well-known hero from the Three Kingdoms period, as folk tales about his heroics have been passed down through centuries. He became a famous household name due to the popularity of the novel Romance of the Three Kingdoms.

Recently, Zhao's popularity has moved beyond Asia and into the Western world, through various media, including the Internet and video games. Zhao is often portrayed as a youthful, handsome, fearless, invincible, calm, genuine and selfless hero in operas, novels, games and comics.

A dramatized version of Zhao's life story is featured in the 2008 film, , starring Andy Lau as "Zhao Zilong" (reference to Zhao Yun by his style name). Hu Jun played Zhao Yun in John Woo's Red Cliff, another film based on the Three Kingdoms that was released later in the same year.

In Chan Mou's manhua The Ravages of Time, Zhao is the leader of a group of assassins, "Handicapped Warriors". His real name is Liaoyuan Huo, and he only takes on the name of "Zhao Yun" when he serves lords outside the Sima clan, most notably Liu Bei, a man he admires.

The manga and anime series Ikki Tousen features a character named Chou'un Shiryuu, who is based on Zhao Yun.

Actor Benji played the role of Zhao Yun in the 2009 Taiwanese teen idol drama series K.O.3an Guo, a parody of Romance of the Three Kingdoms in a modern-day setting.

Video games

Zhao has been a central character in the Dynasty Warriors video game series developed by Koei. He is usually placed in a prominent position on the manual/cover of each title and is the character most often used by the developers in screenshots and promotional materials for upcoming releases. Because of this, Zhao is widely perceived as the "face" of the Dynasty Warriors series, and is now instantly recognisable to those familiar with the titles. In Dynasty Warriors 6 he has a new silver armour and a longer spear called "Dragon Spike". His hair has been changed from a ponytail or long hair to spiky hair.

In Dynasty Warriors 5, he continues to fight for Shu after Liu Bei's death, and talks with Liu Shan in his ending. In Dynasty Warriors 6, Zhao becomes the top commander under Liu. In Dynasty Warriors 4: Xtreme Legends, Zhao must rescue Liu Shan and escape. In Dynasty Warriors 5: Xtreme Legends, he and Huang Zhong must defeat enemy forces.

Zhao also appears in Warriors Orochi, where he is captured by Orochi's forces at the beginning of the game. He is later rescued by Zuo Ci, Shimazu Yoshihiro and Xing Cai. He then goes on a quest to find and free Liu Bei and aligned himself with Sanada Yukimura, whom he felt was his match and shared the same beliefs as him. Together with Yukimura and other allies, he was successful in saving him. Although his character in the game is essentially similar to the one in Dynasty Warriors 5, he is also given a new, somewhat quirky sense of humor. He also has an important role in the other story lines, thus making him one of the protagonists of the game, along with Sun Ce, Cao Pi, and Oda Nobunaga.

Zhao reappears in Warriors Orochi 2 playing a much smaller role, where he and Wei Yan provide reinforcements for Tokugawa Ieyasu at Saika Village. Later, he, Akechi Mitsuhide and Zhang Liao attack Taira Kiyomori at Koshi Castle in an attempt to stop a ritual to revive Orochi involving Himiko. In Dream Mode, Zhao, Sanada Yukimura, and Shimazu Yoshihiro save Liu Bei and peasants.

As the other Tiger Generals, Zhao appears as a playable character in the 1993 video game Sango Fighter, battling against the forces of Cao Cao.

Card games

In the collectible card game , there is a card named "Zhao Zilong, Tiger General" in the Portal Three Kingdoms set.

See also

List of people of the Three Kingdoms

List of Dynasty Warriors characters

Notes

References

Chen, Shou. Sanguo Zhi. with annotations by Pei Songzhi

Luo, Guanzhong. Romance of the Three Kingdoms.

Category:168 births Category:229 deaths Category:Gongsun Zan and associates Category:Shu Han generals

Name	Yao Ming
Height ft	7 |height_in = 6
Weight lb	310
Team	Houston Rockets
Number	11
Position	Center
Birth date	September 12, 1980
Birth place	Shanghai, China
Nationality	Chinese
Draft round	1
Draft pick	1
Draft team	Houston Rockets
Draft year	2002
Teams
Career start	1997
Highlights

Yao Ming (; born September 12, 1980) is a professional basketball player who plays for the Houston Rockets of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He is currently the tallest player in the NBA, at .

Yao, who was born in Shanghai, started playing for the Shanghai Sharks as a teenager, and played on their senior team for five years in the Chinese Basketball Association (CBA), winning a championship in his final year. After negotiating with the CBA and the Sharks to secure his release, Yao was selected by the Houston Rockets as the first overall pick in the 2002 NBA Draft. Yao has since been selected to start for the Western Conference in the NBA All-Star Game in each of his first seven seasons, and has been named to the All-NBA Team five times. However, the Rockets have advanced past the first round of the playoffs only once since he joined the team, and he has missed significant time due to injury in each of the past six seasons.

He is one of China's best-known athletes, with sponsorships with several major companies, and he has been the richest celebrity in China for six straight years. His rookie year in the NBA was the subject of a documentary film, The Year of the Yao, and he co-wrote, along with NBA analyst Ric Bucher, an autobiography titled Yao: A Life in Two Worlds.

Career in China

Early life and CBA career

Yao is the only child of 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m) Yao Zhiyuan and 6 ft 3 in (1.90 m) Fang Fengdi, both of whom were former professional basketball players. At , Yao weighed more than twice as much as the average Chinese newborn, and he grew to be 5 feet 5 inches (1.65 m) by age ten. At that age, he was examined by sports doctors, who predicted that he would grow to 7 feet 3 inches (2.20 m).

Yao first tried out for the Shanghai Sharks junior team of the Chinese Basketball Association (CBA) when he was 13 years old, and practiced for 10 hours a day to make the team. After playing with the junior team for four years, Yao joined the senior team of the Sharks at age 17, and averaged 10 points and 8 rebounds a game in his rookie season. However, his next season was cut short when he broke his foot for the second time in his career, which Yao said decreased his jumping ability by four to six inches (10 to 15 cm). The Sharks made the finals of the CBA in Yao’s third season and again the next year, but lost both times to the Bayi Rockets. When Wang Zhizhi left the Bayi Rockets to become the first NBA player from China the following year, the Sharks finally won their first CBA championship. During the playoffs in his final year with Shanghai, Yao averaged 38.9 points and 20.2 rebounds a game, while shooting 76.6% from the field, and made all 21 of his shots during one game in the finals.

Entering the NBA Draft

Yao was pressured to enter the NBA Draft in 1999 by Li Yaomin, the deputy general manager of the Shanghai Sharks.

When Yao decided to enter the 2002 NBA Draft, a team of advisers was formed that would collectively come to be known as “Team Yao”. The team consisted of Yao’s negotiator, Erik Zhang; his NBA agent, Bill Duffy; his Chinese agent, Lu Hao; University of Chicago economics professor John Huizinga; and the vice president for marketing at BDA Sports Management, Bill Sanders. Yao was widely predicted to be picked number one overall. However, some teams were concerned about Yao's NBA eligibility due to uncertainty over whether the CBA would let Yao play in the United States.

Shortly after Wang Zhizhi refused to return to China to play for the national team and was subsequently banned from playing for China, the CBA stipulated that Yao would have to return to play for the national team. They also said they would not let him go to the United States unless the Houston Rockets would take him first overall. After assurances from Team Yao that the Rockets would draft Yao with their number one pick, the CBA gave permission on the morning of the draft for Yao to play in the U.S. When the Rockets selected Yao with the first pick of the draft, he became the first international player ever to be selected first overall without having previously played U.S. college basketball.

NBA career

Initial years (2002–2005)

Yao did not participate in the Rockets' pre-season training camp, instead playing for China in the 2002 FIBA World Championships. Before the season, several commentators, including Bill Simmons and Dick Vitale, predicted that Yao would fail in the NBA, and Charles Barkley said he would "kiss [Kenny Smith's] ass" if Yao scored more than 19 points in one of his rookie-season games. Yao played his first NBA game against the Indiana Pacers, scoring no points and grabbing two rebounds, and scored his first NBA basket against the Denver Nuggets. In his first seven games, he averaged only 14 minutes and 4 points, but on November 17, he scored 20 points on a perfect 9-of-9 from the field and 2-of-2 from the free-throw line against the Lakers. Barkley made good on his bet by kissing the buttock of a donkey purchased by Smith for the occasion (Smith's "ass"). Yao was not angry with the promotion because he was not familiar with American stereotypes of Chinese. In an earlier interview in 2000, Yao said he had never seen a fortune cookie in China. He guessed it must have been an American invention.

Before Yao’s first meeting with Shaquille O'Neal on January 17, 2003, O'Neal said, "Tell Yao Ming, Ching chong-yang-wah-ah-soh", prompting accusations of racism. Yao also said he believed O'Neal was joking, but he said a lot of Asians wouldn't see the humor. The comments led to increased media coverage in the buildup to the nationally televised game. In the game, Yao scored six points and blocked O'Neal twice in the opening minutes, and made a game-sealing dunk with 10 seconds left in overtime. Yao finished with 10 points, 10 rebounds, and 6 blocks; O'Neal recorded 31 points, 13 rebounds, and 0 blocks.

in the background]] Yao finished his rookie season averaging 13.5 points per game and 8.2 rebounds per game, and was second in the NBA Rookie of the Year Award voting to Amar'e Stoudemire, and a unanimous pick for the NBA All-Rookie First Team selection. He was also voted the Sporting News Rookie of the Year, and won the Laureus Newcomer of the Year award.

Before the start of Yao's sophomore season, Rockets' head coach Rudy Tomjanovich resigned due to health issues, and long-time New York Knicks head coach Jeff Van Gundy was brought in. After Van Gundy began focusing the offense on Yao, Yao averaged career highs in points and rebounds for the season, and had a career-high 41 points and 7 assists in a triple-overtime win against the Atlanta Hawks in February 2004. He was also voted to be the starting center for the Western Conference in the 2004 NBA All-Star Game for the second straight year. Yao finished the season averaging 17.5 points and 9.0 rebounds a game. Yao averaged 15.0 points and 7.4 rebounds in his first playoff series. Although Yao said that Francis and Mobley had "helped [him] in every way [his] first two seasons", he added, "I'm excited about playing with Tracy McGrady. He can do some amazing things." After the trade, it was predicted that the Rockets would be title contenders. Both McGrady and Yao were voted to start in the 2005 NBA All-Star Game, and Yao broke the record previously held by Michael Jordan for most All-Star votes, with 2,558,278 total votes. The Rockets won 51 games and finished fifth in the West, and made the playoffs for the second consecutive year, where they faced the Dallas Mavericks. The Rockets won the first two games in Dallas, and Yao made 13 of 14 shots in the second game, the best shooting performance in the playoffs in Rockets history. However the Rockets lost four of their last five games and lost Game 7 by 40 points, the largest Game 7 deficit in NBA history. Yao's final averages for the series were 21.4 points on 65% shooting and 7.7 rebounds. Despite missing 21 games while recovering,

, Yao averaged a career-high 25 points per game.]]In 25 games after the All-Star break, Yao averaged 25.7 points and 11.6 rebounds per game, while shooting 53.7% from the field and 87.8% at the free-throw line. His final averages in 57 games were 22.3 points and 10.2 rebounds per game. Yao and McGrady played only 31 games together, and the Rockets did not make the playoffs, winning only 34 games. With only four games left in the season, Yao suffered another injury in a game against the Utah Jazz on April 10, 2006, which left him with a broken bone in his left foot. The injury required six months of rest.

Early into his fifth season, Yao was injured again, this time breaking his right knee on December 23, 2006 while attempting to block a shot. Up to that point he had been averaging 26.8 points, 9.7 rebounds and 2.3 blocks per game, and had been mentioned as an NBA MVP candidate. Yao was unable to play in what would have been his fifth All-Star game; he was medically cleared to play on March 4, 2007, after missing 34 games.

Despite Yao's absence, the Rockets made the playoffs with the home court advantage against the Utah Jazz in the first round. The Rockets won the first two games, but then lost four of five games and were eliminated in Game 7 at home, despite Yao's 29 points—15 in the fourth quarter. Although he averaged 25.1 points and 10.3 rebounds for the series, Yao said afterwards "I didn't do my job". At the end of the season, Yao was selected to the All-NBA Second Team for the first time in his career, after being selected to the All-NBA Third Team twice.

On May 18, 2007, only weeks after the Rockets were eliminated from the playoffs, Jeff Van Gundy was dismissed as head coach. Three days later, the Rockets signed former Sacramento Kings coach Rick Adelman, who was thought to focus more on offense than the defensive-minded Van Gundy.

On November 9, 2007, Yao played against fellow Chinese NBA and Milwaukee Bucks player Yi Jianlian for the first time. The game, which the Rockets won 104–88, was broadcast on 19 networks in China, and was watched by over 200 million people in China alone, making it one of the most-watched NBA games in history. In the 2008 NBA All-Star Game, Yao was once again voted to start at center for the Western Conference. Before the All-Star weekend, the Rockets had won eight straight games, and after the break, they took their win streak to 12 games. On February 26, 2008, however, it was reported that Yao would miss the rest of the season with a stress fracture in his left foot. He missed the 2008 NBA Playoffs, but he did not miss the 2008 Summer Olympics at Beijing, China in August. After Yao's injury, the Rockets stretched their winning streak to 22 games, the second-longest in NBA history. Yao underwent a successful operation on March 3, which placed screws in his foot to strengthen the bone, and recovery time was estimated at four months. Yao's final averages in 55 games were 22.0 points, 10.8 rebounds, and 2.0 blocks a game. the Rockets finished with 53 wins and the fifth seed in the Western Conference. Facing the Portland Trail Blazers in the first round, Yao finished with 24 points on 9 of 9 shooting in the first game, and the Rockets won 108–81, in Portland. The Rockets won all their games in Houston, and advanced to the second round of the playoffs for the first time since 1997, and the first time in Yao's career.

The Rockets faced the Lakers in the second round, and Yao scored 28 points, with 8 points in the final four minutes, to lead the Rockets to a 100–92 win in Los Angeles. However, the Rockets lost their next two games, and Yao was diagnosed with a sprained ankle after Game 3. A follow-up test revealed a hairline fracture in his left foot, and he was ruled out for the remainder of the playoffs. In reaction, Yao said the injury, which did not require surgery, was "better than last year". However, follow-up analysis has indicated that the injury could be career threatening. The Yao-less Rockets went on to win Game 4 against the Lakers to even the series 2–2. The Rockets eventually lost the series in seven games.

In July 2009, Yao discussed the injury with his doctors, and the Rockets applied for a disabled player exception, an exception to the NBA Salary Cap which grants the injured player's team money to sign a free agent. The Rockets were granted the exception, and used approximately $5.7 million on free agent Trevor Ariza. After weeks of consulting, it was decided that Yao would undergo surgery in order to repair the broken bone in his left foot. He did not play the entire 2009–10 season.

For the 2010–11 season, the Rockets said they would limit Yao to no more than 24 minutes a game, with no plan to play him on back-to-back nights. Their goal was to keep Yao healthy long term.

International career

s.]]

2000 and 2004 Olympics

Yao first played for China in the Summer Olympics at the 2000 Olympics Basketball Tournament, and he was dubbed, together with 7-foot teammates Wang Zhizhi and Mengke Bateer, "The Walking Great Wall". During the 2004 Athens Olympics, Yao carried the Chinese flag during the opening ceremony, which he said was a “long dream come true”. He then vowed to abstain from shaving his beard for half a year unless the Chinese national basketball team made it into the quarter-finals of the 2004 Olympics Basketball Tournament. After Yao scored 39 points in a win against New Zealand, China lost 58–83, 57–82, and 52–89 against Spain, Argentina and Italy respectively. In the final group game, however, a 67–66 win over the reigning 2002 FIBA World Champions Serbia and Montenegro moved them into the quarterfinals. Yao scored 27 points and had 13 rebounds, and he hit two free throws with 28 seconds left that proved to be the winning margin. He averaged 20.7 points and 9.3 rebounds per game while shooting 55.9% from the field.

Asian Championships

Yao led the Chinese national team to 3 consecutive FIBA Asian Championship gold medals, winning the 2001 FIBA Asian Championship, the 2003 FIBA Asian Championship, and the 2005 FIBA Asian Championship. He was also named the MVP of all three tournaments.

2006 World Championships

Yao’s injury at the end of the 2005–06 NBA season required a full six months of rest, threatening his participation in the 2006 FIBA World Championship. However, he recovered before the start of the tournament, and in the last game of the preliminary round, he had 36 points and 10 rebounds in a win against Slovenia to lead China into the Round of 16. In the first knockout round, however, China was defeated by eventual finalist Greece.

2008 Olympics

After having surgery to repair his fractured foot, Yao said that if he could not play in the Olympics, "It would be the biggest loss in my career to right now". However, he returned to play with the Chinese national team on July 17, 2008. On August 6, Yao carried the Olympic Flame into Tiananmen Square, as part of the Olympic torch relay. He also carried the Chinese flag and led his country's delegation during the opening ceremony. After China opened with a 101-70 loss to the United States, and an overtime defeat to Spain, Yao scored 30 points in a win over Angola, and 25 points in a three-point win against Germany, which clinched China's place in the quarterfinals. However, China lost to Lithuania in the quarterfinals by 26 points, eliminating them from the tournament. Yao's 19 points a game were the second-highest in the Olympics, and his averages of 8.2 rebounds and 1.5 blocks per game were third overall.

Career statistics

CBA statistics

{| class="wikitable sortable" style="font-size:95%; text-align:right" !Year !Team !GP !RPG !APG !FG% !FT% !PPG |- |1997–98 |Shanghai |21 |8.3 |1.3 |.615 |.485 |10.0 |- |1998–99 |Shanghai |12 |12.9 |1.7 |.585 |.699 |20.9 |- |1999–00 |Shanghai |33 |14.5 |1.7 |.585 |.683 |21.2 |- |2000–01 |Shanghai |22 |19.4 |2.2 |.679 |.799 |27.1 |- |2001–02 |Shanghai |24 |19.0 |1.9 |.721 |.759 |32.4 |- |align=left|Career | |122 |15.4 |1.8 |.651 |.723 |23.4 |}

NBA statistics

Regular season

|- | align="left"| 2002–03 | align="left"| Houston | 82||72||29.0||.498||.500||.811||8.2||1.7||.4||1.8||13.5 |- | align="left"| 2003–04 | align="left"| Houston | 82||82||32.8||.522||.000||.809||9.0||1.5||.3||1.9||17.5 |- | align="left"| 2004–05 | align="left"| Houston | 80||80||30.6||.552||.000||.783||8.4||.8||.4||2.0||18.3 |- | align="left"| 2005–06 | align="left"| Houston | 57||57||34.2||.519||.000||.853||10.2||1.5||.5||1.6||22.3 |- | align="left"| 2006–07 | align="left"| Houston | 48||48||33.8||.516||.000||.862||9.4||2.0||.3||2.0||25.0 |- | align="left"| 2007–08 | align="left"| Houston | 55||55||37.2||.507||.000||.850||10.8||2.3||.4||2.0||22.0 |- | align="left"| 2008–09 | align="left"| Houston | 77||77||33.6||.548||1.000||.866||9.9||1.8||.4||2.0||19.7 |- | align="left"| 2010–11 | align="left"| Houston | 5||5||18.2||.486||.000||.938||5.4||.8||.0||1.6||10.2 |- | align="left"| Career | align="left"| | 486||476||32.5||.524||.200||.833||9.2||1.6||.4||1.9||19.0 |- | align="left"| All-Star | align="left"| | 5||5||18.2||.529||.000||.667||4.2||1.6||.2||.2||8.0

Playoffs

|- | align="left"| 2003–04 | align="left"| Houston | 5||5||37.0||.456||.000||.765||7.4||1.8||.4||1.4||15.0 |- | align="left"| 2004–05 | align="left"| Houston | 7||7||31.4||.655||.000||.727||7.7||.7||.3||2.7||21.4 |- | align="left"| 2006–07 | align="left"| Houston | 7||7||37.1||.440||.000||.880||10.3||.9||.1||.7||25.1 |- | align="left"| 2008–09 | align="left"| Houston | 9||9||35.9||.545||.000||.902||10.9||1.0||.4||1.1||17.1 |- | align="left"| Career | align="left"| | 28||28||35.3||.519||.000||.833||9.3||1.0||.3||1.5||19.8

Awards and achievements

7× NBA All-Star: 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009

5× All-NBA Team:

:* Second Team: 2007, 2009 :* Third Team: 2004, 2006, 2008

NBA All-Rookie First Team: 2003

NBA Rookie All-Star Game: 2004

Gold medal winner with Team China at the 2001, 2003, 2005 FIBA Asian Championship

MVP of the 2001, 2003, 2005 FIBA Asian Championship

All-Tournament Team, FIBA World Championship: 2002

Chinese Basketball Association Champion: 2001-02

Rebounding leader in CBA in 2001-02

2003 Sporting News Rookie of the Year

2003 Laureus Newcomer of the Year

Off the court

Personal life

Yao is married to Ye Li, a women's basketball player for China. He met her when he was 17 years old. Ye was not fond of Yao at first, but finally accepted him after he gave her the team pins he had collected during the 2000 Summer Olympics. Their relationship became public when they appeared together during the 2004 Olympics closing ceremony.

In 2004, Yao co-wrote an autobiography with ESPN sportswriter Ric Bucher, entitled Yao: A Life in Two Worlds. In the same year, he was also the subject of a documentary film, The Year of the Yao, which focuses on his NBA rookie year. The film is narrated by his friend and former interpreter, Colin Pine, who stayed with Yao during Yao's rookie year, and interpreted for him for three years. In 2005, former Newsweek writer Brook Larmer published a book entitled Operation Yao Ming, in which he said that Yao's parents were convinced to marry each other so that they would produce a dominant athlete, and that during Yao's childhood, he was given special treatment to help him become a great basketball player.

On May 21, 2010, the couple's first child, a daughter named Amy, was born in Houston.

Public life

Yao is one of China's most recognizable athletes, along with Liu Xiang. He has led Forbes' Chinese celebrities list in income and popularity for six straight years, earning 51 million U.S. dollars (357 million yuan) in 2008. A major part of his income comes from his sponsorship deals, as he is under contract with several major companies to endorse their products. He was signed by Nike until the end of his rookie season. When Nike decided not to renew his contract, he signed with Reebok. He also had a deal with Pepsi, and he successfully sued Coca-Cola in 2003 when they used his image on their bottles while promoting the national team. However, he has since signed with Coca-Cola for the 2008 Olympics. Apple, Garmin, and McDonald’s.

Yao has also participated in many charity events during his career, including the NBA’s Basketball Without Borders program. In the NBA's offseason in 2003, Yao hosted a telethon, which raised 300,000 U.S. dollars to help stop the spread of SARS. In September 2007, he held an auction that raised 965,000 U.S. dollars (6.75 million yuan), and competed in a charity basketball match to raise money for underprivileged children in China. He was joined by fellow NBA stars Steve Nash, Carmelo Anthony, and Baron Davis, and movie star Jackie Chan. After the 2008 Sichuan earthquake, Yao donated $2 million to relief work, and created a foundation to help rebuild schools destroyed in the earthquake.

On July 16, 2009, Yao bought his former club team the Shanghai Sharks, which was on the verge of not being able to play the next season of the Chinese Basketball Association due to financial troubles.

See also

List of tallest players in National Basketball Association history

2008 Summer Olympics national flag bearers

References

External links

NBA.com Official Yao Ming Player Profile

Club Yao — Official Yao Ming Fan Club

The Yao Ming Foundation Official Site

Category:1980 births Category:Living people Category:Basketball players at the 2000 Summer Olympics Category:Basketball players at the 2004 Summer Olympics Category:Basketball players at the 2008 Summer Olympics Category:Centers (basketball) Category:Chinese expatriate basketball people in the United States Category:Houston Rockets draft picks Category:Houston Rockets players Category:Laureus World Sports Awards winners Category:Olympic basketball players of China Category:People from Shanghai Category:Shanghai Sharks players

Name	Van Ness Wu
Englishname	Van Ness Wu
Tradchinesename	吳建豪
Simpchinesename	吴建豪
Pinyinchinesename	Wu Jian Hao
Nationality	American-Chinese
Origin	Taiwan
Birthdate	August 07, 1978
Birthplace	Santa Monica, California USA
Language	English, Mandarin
Occupation	singer, actor, dancer, model, songwriter, spokesperson
Genre	Hip popPopHip-hop RapR&B;MandopopDanceTaiwanese hip hopChinese rapChinese hip hopJ-POP
Label	Sony Music EntertainmentPony Canyon JapanSM EntertainmentUniversal Music Hong KongUniversal Music Taiwan
Associatedact	F4, Kangta & Vanness
Website	http://www.vanness.tv/ http://www.alivenotdead.com/vannesswu http://t.sina.com.cn/iamvanness http://t.sina.com.cn/iamvanness

Van Ness Wu () is a Taiwanese American actor, singer, director, producer based in Asia. He was born on August 7, 1978, in Santa Monica, United States. He worked as a telemarketer before moving to Taiwan. As a member of Taiwanese boyband F4, he has appeared on three albums. He has also released three solo albums, and collaborated with Korean star Kangta to produce one album, "Scandal." He has also been featured on singles by Beyoncé and Coco Lee.

Wu has also appeared in several dramas for Taiwanese television both with and without other members of F4, and has starred in three motion pictures.

Wu has directed two music videos off his "V.DUBB" album, as well as a video for Nike's "This is Love" campaign in Hong Kong. He was also executive producer with Terry Tye Lee on the Nike track, "She's Not Sorry."

Van Ness is managed by talent manager Carl Choi

Filmography

Television series

Movies

Books

Daydreamer - autobiography

With F4

* F4@Tokyo - 2005 photobook

* Comic Man - The First Anniversary of F4 - 2002 photobook

* Meteor In Barcelona - 2002 photobook

* F4 Music Party - 2001 photobook

Concerts

2010 APAHM Concert - Seattle, Washington & New York

2008 F4 Japan Tour-Yokohama, Tokyo, Osaka

2008 Murakami Contemporary Art Exhibition-''Geisai Museum, Tokyo Japan.

2007 Vanness Wu 2nd Solo Concert in Japan-My Kingdom

2006 Vanness Wu 1st Solo Concert in Japan-Vandalism in Tokyo

F4 Forever 4 - March 22–25, 2006 Hong Kong

F4 Bangkok Fantasy - 2004 Thailand

F4 Happy New Year 2004 - 2003 Philippines

The Event (with Ken and ASOS) - 2003 Philippines

Fantasy F4ever Live Concert World Tour - 2002~2003 Taiwan, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Indonesia, Singapore, China, U.S.

F4 Music Party - 2001 Taiwan

Discography

Studio album

Singles

With F4

With Kangta & Vanness

2006 - Scandal - Kangta & Vanness Collaboration

Other collaborations

Beyoncé Knowles - "Crazy in Love" (Asian releases only) [2004]

Coco Lee - "Hip Hop Tonight" [2006]

Commercials/Endorsements

MP3 Recorder Walkman

Siemens 2118

Legend Computers (China region)

Mingle Shoes (China region)

Lu Piao Shampoo (China region)

Samuel & Kevin

Bicowave & Bicogirl

Pepsi' - 2002~2005 Taiwan, Hong Kong, China

YAMAHA' - 2003 South East Asia

Other Ventures

3.V.0.7.

After having dabbled in a few ventures with friends, from clothing to a shoe store, night club to record company, movie productions to talent agency. Now finally comes something that Vanness has always loved doing but never really had the chance of getting real hands on, until now- jewelry.

He has always been drawing/designing but finally has met the right people to help put the visuals into solid form. Vanness has partnered up with Janet Yang President of Dazzling and J-Y Fashion, to design and create his first ever jewelry line. All of the pieces were designed to reflect where Vanness is currently in his life right now. From the chastity belt double finger ring, to a selection of crosses, which have all been on sale since February 13, 2009. Love. Faith.Live www.dazzlingdazzling.com

Smash and Grab

Smash and Grab was Co-Founded by Van Ness Wu in 2006 and is an up and coming broad-based entertainment company. They specialize in the creation, production, distribution, licensing and marketing of all types of entertainment and its business. Smash and Grab is leading the way in the entertainment industry. From music production and recording in there private Studio, to music videos, television, feature films, home video/DVD, books, product and brand licensing. Smash and Grab is formed by a group of young artists all with different entertainment backgrounds. They are a leading up and coming entertainment company working throughout Asia. www.sagprod.com

Triumvir

Van Ness Wu and his childhood friend Brandon Cheng first introduced Triumvir in 2004, an independent lifestyle company with apparel as its primary focus. Triumvir consists of a group of individuals, with varying takes on life shaped by different backgrounds, sub/cultures, experiences and upbringing of each member. Its these differences tied together by the main commonality of Orange County. For those unfamiliar with Orange County it is a sub/culturally diverse segment of Southern California. With a wide range of influences from skate to hip hop, punks to hipsters; its these intertwining subcultures that have molded these individuals to form Triumvir. www.triumvir.com

LeftFoot

Back in June 2007, Van Ness collaborated with Singaporean urban art icon Jahan and created the LeftFoot Taipei chapter. LeftFoot is a shoe boutique which specializes in limited edition footwear. www.leftfoot.com.tw

Primo

Vanness Wu also invested into the creation of an up scale and luxuriantly styled nightclub, which opened its doors for the first time on March 26, 2008. www.club-primo.com

Machi

Machi is a rap/hip hop record label which Vanness has also invested in. Based in Taiwan Machi was founded by music producer Jae Chong and Jeffrey Huang. www.machi.cc

See also

F4

References

External links

Vanness Wu Official Website and Community

Vanness Wu's Official Blog

The TFL.org approved Van Ness Wu Fanlisting

Category:Taiwanese male singers Category:Taiwanese actors Category:American musicians of Chinese descent Category:American actors of Asian descent Category:American people of Taiwanese descent Category:1978 births Category:Living people Category:American Protestants Category:Musicians from California Category:Chinese Protestants Category:People from Los Angeles, California Category:American musicians of Taiwanese descent Category:Taiwanese dancers Category:F4 (band) members Category:Taiwanese Mandopop singers Category:Taiwanese Protestants